Arguably, one of the greatest inventions of all-time is the wheel. The impact of the wheel on human development has been tremendous. The wheel has been responsible for allowing many of functions and activities that are taken for granted today, including travel and commerce. Amazingly, the basic design and function of the wheel has not changed since it was initially developed.
Of course, as technology and materials have improved the capabilities and functionality of the wheel have also improved. For example, vehicle wheels are now able to withstand greater forces, and to perform for longer periods of time.
One important element of wheel technology that has improved overtime, and has had a significant impact on wheel functionality has been the design and type of wheel and axle interface. The ability of a wheel, or wheel and tire, to rotate with the best efficiency depends on the combined actions of the wheel and axle.
One of the best developments was to introduce the use of bearings to create smooth, efficient rotation of a wheel on an axle. Bearings are especially well-suited for this use, however there are problems associated with the use of bearings. One problem is that the constant rotation of the bearings can cause them to wear down. The actual design of a bearing based system requires careful consideration of dimensions and ratios. Also, the use of relatively weak materials, such as plastic can result in decreased performance.
What is needed is a wheel bearing assembly that is well designed and utilizes high-grade materials. Optimally, the ball bearings and the housing would be made of stainless steel. By providing the stainless steel on stainless steel interface, a wheel bearing system could take greater loads at higher speeds, and could operate for an extended period of time.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related:
PATENT NO.INVENTORISSUEDU.S. Pat. No. 6,644,757Curcio et alFeb. 4, 2014U.S. Pat. No. 7,922,262Savarese et alApr. 12, 2011U.S. Pat. No. 8,382,213DeFreitasFeb. 26, 2013
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,757 discloses a wheel hub that allows a wheel to be free-wheeling in both directions of turning and is constructed to provide low rolling resistance, greater load carrying capacity and is more reliable that earlier hubs. The hub includes separate bearing systems for supporting radial loads as perpendicular to a road surface, and axial loads as are side loads directed into the hub. The bearing systems include a pair of radial bearings for supporting radial loads, with each radial bearing of the pair mounted at each hub end to receive an axle fitted therethrough, and a pair of thrust bearings for supporting axial loads, with each thrust bearing of the pair mounted at a hub end.
The U.S. Pat. No. 7,922,262 discloses a bearing wheel hub unit that is provided with a mounting flange which is integral with an inner race of the bearing in order to mount a wheel A centering collar extends from a frontal surface of the flange to permit the centering of the wheel in relation to the unit. The centering collar is independent of the mounting flange and is assembled with the flange by fixing onto the frontal surface.
The U.S. Pat. No. 8,382,213 discloses a wheel hub assembly that is fitted to a vehicle axle via a wheel bearing mounted on the axle. The assembly includes a hub mountable on the wheel bearing and rotatable relative to the vehicle axle and fastening members to releasably secure the hub relative to the wheel bearing.
For background purposes and indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the patent search.
PATENT NO.INVENTORISSUEDU.S. Pat. No. 6,017,097Weir IIIJan. 25, 2000U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,422Griseri et alMar. 15, 2005U.S. Pat. No. 8,297,631Siebeneick et alOct. 30, 2012U.S. Pat. No. 9,370,968Spahr et alJun. 21, 2016